A/HRC/39/CRP.2 • The extent to which such discourse has become normalised is illustrated by parliamentary discussions on the Rakhine State crisis, in the course of which several members of parliament (mostly notably in the Amyotha Hluttaw (the upper house) but also in the Pyithu Hluttaw (the lower house) and Pyidaungsu Hluttaw repeatedly stressed the need to control illegal immigration and prevent the “Jihad” threat by the “Islamic terrorists”.2912 1316. The second common narrative is of Muslims, and the Rohingya in particular, as a threat to Burmese racial purity. This theme becomes apparent in messages on population growth among Rohingya, negatively affecting the demographic balance (“incontrollable birth rates”, “they breed like rabbits”, “extremely large families”), the practice of polygamy and the negative consequences of inter-faith marriage. Many such messages and expressions of hatred focus on the alleged “out-breeding” of Buddhists by Muslims and the dangers of marrying Muslim men, linking it to forcible conversion to Islam and physical abuse. The following examples are typical of these comments: Muslims are like the African carp. They breed quickly and they are very violent and they eat their own kind. Even though they are minorities here, we are suffering under the burden they bring us. [Wirathu, in a July 2013 interview with the Global Post]2913 It started with a single weed. However, after days and months later, the weed grew uncontrollably, swallowing the other, more precious plants and flowers. Likewise, first, only one or two Bengali arrived. However, because of their plan to marry many wives and have as many children as possible, their population increased disproportionately. […] If the Myanmar Government and the citizens are not careful, in a few years, Myanmar ethnic people, like the precious flowers will be swallowed to extinction by the weed-like Bengali. [Article by another monk in the 9 June 2017 issue of MaBaTha publication Aung Zeyathu]2914 2912 2913 2914 328 E.g. the meeting notes from 44th day of the 5th Regular Session at the 2nd Amyotha Hluttaw, on 16 August 2017, Agenda 10: http://www.amyotha.hluttaw.mm/meetings/%E1%81%84%E1%81%84%E1%80%9B%E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%99%E1%80%BC%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC %E1%80%80%E1%80%BA%E1%80%94%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B7%E1%80%99%E1%80%BE %E1%80%90%E1%80%BA%E1%80%90%E1%80%99%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8-%E1%81% 81%E1%81%86%E1%81%88%E1%81%82%E1%81%80%E1%81%81%E1%81%87, p. 42. Tin Aung Kyaw, “Buddhist monk Wirathu leads violent national campaign against Myanmar’s Muslims” (Global Post, 21 June 2013). See “No Hate Speech Project”: https://www.facebook.com/NoHateSpeechMyanmar/posts/1797471910565752.